"What do you mean you can feel mana?"
As expected, Klaus is startled. He obviously didn't expect that I'd be able to feel mana in just two days. Though I started feeling it the night before yesterday, but I didn't tell him that.
I've finished my class two lessons for today and now I'm in the training grounds with Klaus, sitting in a lotus position on the sand.
"It's as I said, I can feel mana now. So let's move on to the next lesson."
I tell him sternly.
"But that's just impossible. Are you sure that what you feel is mana?"
His voice is filled with worry, he's worried about the fact that I might either be insane or I'm just lying.
"Klaus. Do I look like a liar?"
My sudden stern tone causes him to raise his eyebrow in surprise.
He smirks, "Well, you can't tell a liar by looking at their face."
I sigh.
Oh my goodness, let's just begin the next step already!
"Isn't there a way to confirm if I'm right or wrong?"
At my words, his face lit up with a smile. It seems he had a sudden realization.
"There is one way."
"Oh yeah? Then how?"
"Mana Breathing."
My face contorts into a questioning look.
Then he explains:
"You can't learn any of the techniques of mana breathing if you can't detect and sense mana anyway, so..." He shrugs.
"Teach me."
"Teach you what?"
"Mana Breathing."
"..."
He sighs.
"Fine."
"The technique that we, the flame mages of the household use for mana breathing is called the 'Flowing flame breathing technique.' with this technique, you breathe in the pure mana in the air and guide it from your lungs to your mama pathway, and in your mana pathway. With this breathing technique, the mana in your mana pathway automatically changes its state from pure elementless to Fire elemental mana."
I click my tongue.
It's gonna be hard. And it all sounds like impossible bullshit.
"How long does it take to master this mana-breathing Technique?"
I ask.
"Hey now, calm down. The Mana breathing technique is just meant to guide you on how to breathe in the mana in your body and how to filter out just the right amount of oxygen in your mana pathway and leave the remaining ones to mix with the pure mana you take in as you breathe. Whether the pure mana you take in transforms to the fire element or it remains pure mana is up to you."
I nod my head in understanding.
"But I asked. How long does it take to master the breathing technique?"
He smirks and speaks.
"It takes the average kid 1 year to learn it, takes kids that have some talent 5-6 months to learn it. And it took your Father, George and Sin Morderego 3 months to learn it."
I smile.
Another high score to beat.
"Teach me."
"You're starting to get a little bit..." He presses his index finger with his thumb like he wants to punch someone. "Impolite. You weren't like this in the beginning."
I'm starting to pity him a little. He doesn't know who I am. No one here does, I'm not a good, wimpy, pushover who doesn't know the difference between being polite and being a pushover. Instead, I'm the one who pushes people over.
I chuckle softly.
"Well, I'm the young master of the Flameworths, and I learned how to feel mana in just two days. And I have the potential to control all elements."
I tell him bluntly and shamelessly.
A smile plays on his lips.
"Fair enough. Now go back home."
"What? What do you mean? Aren't you gonna teach me the breathing technique?"
He shakes his head.
"Tsk tsk tsk"
"No. I don't have the book with me. And I won't teach you. I'll give you the book and expect you to learn it just from the illustrations, after all I can't teach you how to breathe, I can only guide you on the right way to go about it. Plus... if you've truly started to feel mana, then my job is done. That's everything they teach in class one and you can learn the mana breathing in class two. But I'll guide you for now, because you're interesting, a student that absorbs my teaching completely."
'Guide' that word reminds me of THEM.
"Suddenly praise bombing me huh."
I smile as I stand up from the ground where I sit.
"Well, it's as you said. You're the young master of the Flameworths, you have the potential to control all elements, you 'supposedly' learned how to feel mana in two days and you are a great student so..."
I nod in agreement to his words.
"I'll see you tomorrow Mr Klaus."
"I'll see you too Young Master Charles."
And I walk out.
***
The Patriarch is finally back from his mission, I went to visit him this morning before I went to my class two lesson.
I had to make up an excuse on the spot as I met with him. I couldn't tell him that I wanted to see his rings again.
So I told him that I'd started feeling Mana.
He flashed that devilish smile on his face again that I'm very sure is from the pit of hell.
He told me to come by his office tomorrow, that he had something to give me– A gift, for being an exceptional mage in the making.
And he said something about me being the anomaly of this generation. I don't even know what the hell that means.
But now that I've obtained the book that contains the mana breathing technique from Klaus, I'm finally gonna start learning it. It looks like it might take a while to learn it because it's been four hours, and it's nighttime now. I didn't get an immediate result and realization like I did when I was feeling mana.
"But I'd still keep doing it! This is my path to being a mage! To see Marcelle again!"
I clench my fist as I walk toward my window to view the cleaved moon.